Wichita eagle., 1887-05-24
Daily gayle
LIGHT ON MYSTERY
A WAR CORRESPONDENT APPARENT
~ WOUNDED UNTO DEATH.

HOW He Felt and What He Thought
While Falling Into the unknown
Uereafter"-A Curious Experience-An
Error Corrected.
had an experience which may throw
some light on the mystery which gathers
about the dying. An expedition led by
Sweeny, the one armed regular omcer,
and consisting of cavalry, infantry and
artillery, was sent out to destroy q Con-
federate depot Of clothing and provisions
The cavalry was put well in advance as
we nsared the point, and finally, when
within striking distance, q charge was
ordered into the town. went IN WIN
the troopers and suddenly found myself
IN the midst Of q hot contest, in which
rebel shotguns and rifles were playing
prominent part. Near the center OF the
place was q brick court house, into Wnlch
after q little time l entered, partly De-
cause the shooting was very careless,
score Of men and horses In my immediate
vicinity being hit and a stampede being
inaugurated by frantic animals, and
partly because it seemed that could get
. better view of the contest from the roof
of the building.
I assembled to the second floor and en-
tered large square room in when were
heaped large quantity OF clothing ln9re
was table at which were seated TWO men
in Federal uniform, who were engaged LII
examining some papers.
Nv wearing apparel was much dllapl-
dated and | concluded to make an ex-
change. 1 selected a pair Of trousers from
the pile and pair Of saddle bags, and
then proceeded to make a change OF gar
ments. | had the new trousers partly on,
when the building suddenly shivered as II
struck by an earthquake; there was SIM
ultaneousl deafening explosion, rat
fling of shattered glass, while the room
became filled with flying particles OF
brick and mortar.
"a shell, by ~ roared one OF the
men. as he tipped over backward, over
turning the table, then scrambled to his
feet and ran toward the stairway, fol-
lowed by his companion. l chung to the
saddle bags and the half adjusted gar
ments and fastened after them as fast as
nv semi-bapdaged condition would per-
NIT.
KNOCKED sENSELEss.
I reached the head of the staircase in
time to see the others descending in great
leaps to the bottom and then disappear
through the door. / had descended two
or three steps when there came another
axplosion which seemed to be directly
at the back of my head. Broad belts OF
vivid crimson filled my line of vision, and
then / lost consciousness. A little later
recovered nv mental condition and found
myself lying at the foot Of the stairway.
A pool of blood lay abont my head and
saturated my clothing A frightful weak
ness possessed me, and there was a savage
pain in the back of my head. With inn
mense exertion I struggled to my feet,
after falling two or three times, and then
kept myself upright by leaning against
the jamb Of the doorway.
1t seemed to me that l was dying A
mortal languor possessed me, and feis
that in moment or two l should drop to
the floor dead. / cannot truthfully state
that at this supreme moment all my past
life flashed before me, as is recorded in so
many excellent books concerning death
bed scenes. Nothing Of this kind oc-
CURED. had no particular consciousness
apart from the languor, the pain and a
curious sinking feeling about the heart. l
recall what appears to have been dim
species of wonder rs to what those at home
None Of the good nor bad deeds of my life
passed before me in that moment. The
space about me grew into blueness, and
then gradually changed into dense black.
As it did SO, my strength left me- sank
70 the floor, my last remembrance being
something to the effect that 1 was slowly
dropping into infinite space.
This faint remembrance, these dim SEN
sations. this sinking away, thought was
death. Had actually died would have
experienced no other feeling.
RECOVERED CONSCIOUSNESS.
When 1 again recovered consciousness
was lying with bandaged head on O
bench in the court house. An hour later
I was on q horse and moving on the return
march. l chung all through the occur
renee to the trousers and saddle bags.
After the cavalry had entered the town
word was sent back to q section of artil
lery In the rear, with order to its officer tt
hurry up and bring his pieces to bear or
the town. The officer was Lieut.. Georgt
Sokalski who was quite deaf, and who
understood the order to be to fire on the
town. He did SO, and the court house
being the most conspicuous object, HI
selected it for target for shell practice
The second Of his missives exploded JUS
behind me, and gave Inc my first expert
enee as to the sensations of death.
saw many men die during the war, ant
In no case was there anything distressin,
In the occurrence When man was hit
and believed the wound to be deadl,
one, he never grew excited nor frantic
over his condition. The conviction SCENE,
TO quiet him; to stun him little; to b
something in the nature of an opiate.
do not believe there was a single instanc
In the entire war in which soldier, know
ing that he was about to die, arrange
any of the beautiful sentiments so fire
Quently published in some Of the news
papers and in a certain class of books
''Tell them that l have cheerfully give
my life for my flag and my country"
IN absurd invention. No dying man eve
said 1t, and no dying man ever thought /,
-"Poliuto" in Chicago Times.